OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Reporter Molly Hudson spent the afternoon in Midtown Crossing talking with business owners who say they feel the streetcar construction is driving away customers. Some are getting creative to remind neighbors they're still here.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“Every day, looking outside and wondering how I’m going to get in my business, let alone anybody else,” says Kaleb Michaud, director of Spielbound, a cherished spot on Harney Street for the last decade. He explains that between the construction and tariffs, the factors affecting business keep them on their toes.
“Because the changes are happening so fast, the construction one day, everything is fine and then there is construction. You can't get to the street. We are really have do day by day,” Michaud said.
Michaud sees the construction discouraging customers.
“I think when people see the construction, they are like, ‘Well, maybe not today.’ I think, overall numbers went down a bit compared to the prior year,” Michaud said.
It's a similar story on Farnam Street for Justin Domina at Long Dog Fat Cat, where the parking availability in front continues to change.
“It was March that things started slowing down,” Domina said.
The months following saw a nearly 20% drop in sales and foot traffic combined.
“Who wants to carry like a 30-pound bag of dog food back to their car when they have to walk half a mile, to get to their cars,” Domina said.
They’re getting creative.
“There are some regulars that call, and we’ll tell them just to post up behind the back door. We’ll let them in and they'll get their food and we'll just drop it in the trunk,” Domina said.
They are even offering unique sales.
“We are trying to compensate by doing a Black Friday in July. So the last weekend of this month, the 25th and 26th, check our social media. We have flyers in the stores,” Domina said.
Despite ongoing construction for the months to come, both Kaleb and Justin are optimistic about the future.
“I am looking at the future and hoping that it will be very bright then. I know there are some hard times until then,” Michaud said.
“It might just pay off to go through all of this,” Domina said.
